Wednesday, 23 November 2011

The warmists at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research are desperately trying to prevent Britain from joining the shale gas revolution. A new report by the Tyndall Centre warns that shale gas extraction would 'would wreck UK's climate change targets' and prevent the creation of "hundreds of thousands of jobs" in wind, solar power and other green energy projects:

Kevin Anderson, professor of energy and climate change at the Tyndall Centre, at the University of Manchester, said: "The government faces a difficult choice – to lead a new and low-carbon energy revolution or stick with high-carbon fossil fuels, forgo its emission targets and relinquish its hard-won international reputation on climate change."

Tony Bosworth, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, had this to say:

"If ministers give shale gas the green light it could wreck UK climate targets and keep us all in hock to soaring energy bills. The only solution to our broken power system is to develop the nation's home-grown clean energy supplies and cut energy waste. David Cameron must free us from the shackles of the big energy companies keeping us hooked on dirty fossil fuels – and support clean British energy providers instead."

One must hope that serious politicians in the UK put the Tyndall Centre report where it belongs - the dustbin. To relinquish its "hard-won international reputation on climate change" should not be too difficult, because the fact is that this "reputation" is totally worthless. And to maintain that wind, solar and other green energy projects will create "hundreds of thousands of jobs" is of course also nothing but rubbish. (Take e.g. Spain, where unemployment has risen to 22% since they switched to a "green" economy.)

Shale gas is the best hope for Britain and many other countries to produce future energy at prices that are affordable. Highly subsidised wind and solar energy projects that create only a few permanent jobs are the ones pushing energy prices higher.